Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Yamauchi

Kazuhiro Yamauchi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11378910
    Abstract: A process cartridge is provided, which is configured to recover, with a developing member, developer remaining on an image bearing member after transfer of a developer image to a transfer receiving member, wherein a charging member has a shaft that is conductive and an elastic layer supported on the shaft and being in contact with the image bearing member; the elastic layer has a matrix containing a first rubber, and a plurality of domains containing a second rubber and an electron-conductive agent and interspersed within the matrix. The electric resistance of the domains is lower than the electric resistance of the matrix. The matrix is exposed on an outer surface of the elastic layer and forms multiple depressed portions, and the domains include a domains exposed at a bottom section of the depressed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takashi Mukai, Takashi Hiramatsu, Shuhei Tokiwa, Takayuki Namiki, Takumi Furukawa, Yuichi Kikuchi, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11366402
    Abstract: There is provided a process cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus, the process cartridge including an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a charging member, wherein an outer surface of the charging member is composed of at least a matrix and at least a part of domains, a volume resistivity of the matrix is 1.0×105 times or more of a volume resistivity of the domain, an average value Sd of circle equivalent diameters of the domains observed on the outer surface of the charging member is in a predetermined range, the electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a support, a photosensitive layer, and a protective layer in this order and when a surface roughness of the protective layer is measured, each of a protruding valley portion Rvk, a load length ratio Mr2, and Sd/Rvk is in a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuka Ishiduka, Tsutomu Nishida, Hideharu Shimozawa, Nobuhiro Nakamura, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Kenichi Kaku, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Yuichi Kikuchi, Kazuhisa Shida, Atsushi Okuda
  • Publication number: 20220185964
    Abstract: A cured product of a silanol composition comprising a cyclic silanol containing a silanol group and having a cyclic structure formed by a siloxane bond, and a dehydration condensation product thereof, wherein an area ratio of a peak derived from SiO—H stretching observed at 2600 to 3800 cm?1 to an area of a peak derived from Si—O—Si stretching observed at 960 to 1220 cm?1 (SiO—H stretching/Si—O—Si stretching area ratio) is 0.01 or more in an IR spectrum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Tomohiro Sugahara, Tatsuro Toda
  • Patent number: 11360405
    Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a charging device and a developing device, wherein the charging device comprises a conductive member arranged to be capable of contacting the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the conductive layer at the outer surface of the conductive member comprises a matrix and a plurality of domains dispersed in the matrix, at least some of the domains are exposed at the outer surface of the conductive member, the matrix has a volume resistivity R1 of larger than 1.00×1012 ?·cm, the volume resistivity R1 of the matrix is 1.0×105 times or more a volume resistivity R2 of the domains, the developing device comprises the toner comprising a toner particle and a silica fine particle, and a coverage ratio of the toner surface with the silica fine particles is from 62.0% by area to 100.0% by area as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Tomono, Yoshitaka Suzumura, Takuya Mizuguchi, Osamu Matsushita, Masahiro Kurachi, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Issei Imamura
  • Patent number: 11360426
    Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a charging device and a developing device, wherein the charging device comprises a conductive member arranged to be capable of contacting the electrophotographic photosensitive member, a conductive layer of the conductive member comprises a matrix domain structure, at least a part of the domains Dt is exposed at the conductive member outer surface, the matrix has a volume resistivity R1 of larger than 1.00×1012 ?·cm, the domains Dt has a volume resistivity of smaller than R1, the developing device comprises the toner, domains Dc formed of the crystalline material exist in a cross section of the toner, distances between adjacent wall surfaces of the domains Dc is from 30 to 1,100 nm, and a weight-average particle diameter D4 of the toner and distances Dms between adjacent wall surfaces between the domains Dt satisfies D4?Dms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Suzumura, Hiroyuki Tomono, Takuya Mizuguchi, Osamu Matsushita, Shunsuke Matsushita, Masahiro Kurachi, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11347156
    Abstract: The electro-conductive member has an electro-conductive support, and an electro-conductive layer in this order, the electro-conductive layer including a matrix and domains, the matrix constituted by a first rubber composition containing a cross-linked product of a first rubber, the domains having electro-conductivity, and dispersed in the matrix, each of the domains constituted by a second rubber composition containing a cross-linked product of a second rubber and an electro-conductive particle, the first rubber and the second rubber being diene-based rubbers, the first rubber having at least one monomer unit, the second rubber having at least one monomer unit different from the monomer unit which the first rubber has; a difference of absolute values of SP values between the first rubber and the second rubber is 0.2 (J/cm3)0.5 to 4.0 (J/cm3)0.5; and a tan ?1/tan ?2 is 0.45 to 2.00.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Kurachi, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Satoru Nishioka, Kenji Takashima, Yuichi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11340553
    Abstract: The process cartridge includes an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a first support and a photosensitive layer; and a charging member. In the photosensitive member when an electric current is measured which flows when a voltage is applied to a surface while being varied, a gradient a1 of a low electric field region and a gradient a2 of a high electric field region satisfy a2/a1?1.50, in a graph. The charging member includes a second support having an electroconductive outer surface, and a second electroconductive layer including a matrix and a plurality of domains being dispersed in the matrix, at least a portion of the domain is exposed to an outer surface which includes at least the matrix and at least a portion of the domain, and a volume resistivity ?M of the matrix is 1.00×105 times or higher of a volume resistivity ?D of the domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kaname Watariguchi, Kohei Makisumi, Fumiyuki Hiyama, Yuichi Kikuchi, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Hirotaka Araki, Seiichi Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 11320756
    Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a charging unit, and a developing unit, wherein the charging unit has a conductive member contactable with the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a conductive layer of the conductive member has a matrix-domain structure; at least some of the domains are exposed at the outer surface; a volume resistivity R1 of the matrix and a volume resistivity R2 of the domains satisfy specific relationship; Martens hardness G1 of the matrix and Martens hardness G2 of the domains satisfy relationship G1<G2; the surface roughness Ra of the conductive member is not more than 2.00 ?m; the toner has an external additive having a shape factor SF-1 of not more than 115; and A<Dms is satisfied where A is the number-average diameter of the external additive and Dms is a distance between adjacent walls between the domains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shohei Kototani, Noriyoshi Umeda, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Shohei Tsuda, Noboru Miyagawa, Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20220026825
    Abstract: An electroconductive member for electrophotography has an electroconductive support and an electroconductive layer in the order mentioned. The electroconductive layer has a matrix including a crosslinked product of a first rubber, and a domain including a crosslinked product of a second rubber and an electroconductive particle. The impedance of the outer surface of the electroconductive member is 1.0×103 to 1.0×108?). 80% by number or more of domains observed at each of a total of nine 15-?m square observation regions, which are disposed at any three points in a thickness region from the outer surface to a specific depth on each of cross sections in the thickness direction at three points: the center of the electroconductive layer in the longitudinal direction and points at a specific distance from the both edges of the electroconductive layer toward the center, satisfy specific requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Satoru Nishioka, Masahiro Kurachi, Kenji Takashima, Yuichi Kikuchi, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Kana Sato, Takumi Furukawa, Hiroaki Watanabe, Kenya Terada, Yuya Tomomizu, Toshimitsu Nakazawa
  • Publication number: 20220011684
    Abstract: Provided an electrophotographic electro-conductive member that can stably suppress an occurrence of fogging in an electrophotographic image. The member comprises a support having an electro-conductive outer surface, and an electro-conductive layer on the outer surface of the support, the electro-conductive layer having a matrix including a cross-linked product of a first rubber, and domains dispersed in the matrix, the domains each includes a cross-linked product of a second rubber and an electro-conductive particle, at least some of the domains is exposed to the outer surface of the electro-conductive member to constitute protrusions on an outer surface of the member, the outer surface of the electro-conductive member is constituted by the matrix and the domains exposed to the outer surface of the electrophotographic electro-conductive member, the electrophotographic electro-conductive member has an impedance of 1.0×103? or more and 1.0×108? or less, and some of the domains satisfy two specific requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Satoru Nishioka, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Hiroaki Watanabe, Takumi Furukawa, Yasuhiro Fushimoto, Masahiro Kurachi, Kenji Takashima, Yuichi Kikuchi, Kana Sato
  • Patent number: 11175602
    Abstract: An electroconductive member for electrophotography has an electroconductive support and an electroconductive layer in the order mentioned. The electroconductive layer has a matrix including a crosslinked product of a first rubber, and a domain including a crosslinked product of a second rubber and an electroconductive particle. The impedance of an outer surface of the electroconductive member is 1.0×103 to 1.0×108?. 80% by number or more of domains observed at each of a total of nine 15-?m square observation regions, which are disposed at any three points in a thickness region from the outer surface to a specific depth on each of cross sections in a thickness direction at three points: the center of the electroconductive layer in the longitudinal direction and points at a specific distance from both edges of the electroconductive layer toward the center, satisfy specific requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Nishioka, Masahiro Kurachi, Kenji Takashima, Yuichi Kikuchi, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Kana Sato, Takumi Furukawa, Hiroaki Watanabe, Kenya Terada, Yuya Tomomizu, Toshimitsu Nakazawa
  • Publication number: 20210347759
    Abstract: The present invention provides an industrially advantageous production method of (1R,2S)-2-{[((2,4-dimethylpyrimidin-5-yl)oxy}methyl]-2-(3-fluorophenyl)-N-(5-fluoropyridin-2-yl)cyclopropane-1-carboxamide. (1R,2S)-2-{[((2,4-Dimethylpyrimidin-5-yl)oxyl}methyl]-2-(3-fluorophenyl)-N-(5-fluoropyridin-2-yl)cyclopropane-1-carboxamide (compound [A]) is produced by an industrially advantageous method by a route via a novel compound. wherein each symbol is as described in the description.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuhiro YAMAUCHI, Junichi TOMOKAWA
  • Patent number: 11169454
    Abstract: Provided an electrophotographic electro-conductive member that can stably suppress an occurrence of fogging in an electrophotographic image. The member comprises a support having an electro-conductive outer surface, and an electro-conductive layer on the outer surface of the support, the electro-conductive layer having a matrix including a cross-linked product of a first rubber, and domains dispersed in the matrix, the domains each includes a cross-linked product of a second rubber and an electro-conductive particle, at least some of the domains is exposed to the outer surface of the electro-conductive member to constitute protrusions on an outer surface of the member, the outer surface of the electro-conductive member is constituted by the matrix and the domains exposed to the outer surface of the electrophotographic electro-conductive member, the electrophotographic electro-conductive member has an impedance of 1.0×103? or more and 1.0×108? or less, and some of the domains satisfy two specific requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoru Nishioka, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Hiroaki Watanabe, Takumi Furukawa, Yasuhiro Fushimoto, Masahiro Kurachi, Kenji Takashima, Yuichi Kikuchi, Kana Sato
  • Patent number: 11137716
    Abstract: There is provided a process cartridge detachably attachable to a main body of an electrophotographic apparatus, the process cartridge including: an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a charging member, in which when average local potential differences of calculated lengths in the electrophotographic photosensitive member is calculated based on a specific method, a maximum value of the average local potential difference is 2 V or more, the charging member includes a support and an electro-conductive layer, the electro-conductive layer has a matrix and domains dispersed in the matrix, a volume resistivity ?M of the matrix is at least 1.00×105 times a volume resistivity ?D of the domain, and a specific calculated length SCP [?m] and a specific value relating a distance between the domains Dms [?m] satisfy SCP?3×Dms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Fumiyuki Hiyama, Kaname Watariguchi, Kohei Makisumi, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Yuichi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11112719
    Abstract: Provided is a process cartridge in which lateral running is suppressed while satisfactory potential fluctuation is maintained. The process cartridge includes: an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support, a lowermost layer, and a photosensitive layer; and a charging member including a support and a conductive layer. In a case where a maximum frequency at which a phase of an impedance reaches 45°, when the impedance is measured by applying an AC voltage to the lowermost layer while changing the AC voltage, is represented by fOPC (Hz), and in a case where a maximum frequency at which a phase of an impedance reaches 45°, when the impedance is measured by applying an AC voltage to the charging member while changing the AC voltage, is represented by fC (Hz), the fOPC and the fC each have a value within a certain range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kohei Makisumi, Kaname Watariguchi, Fumiyuki Hiyama, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Yuichi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11112748
    Abstract: An electrophotographic developing member includes an electro-conductive support and an electro-conductive layer provided on the support, wherein the electro-conductive layer has a matrix containing a first rubber and a plurality of domains dispersed in the matrix, and the domain contains a second rubber and an electronic conductive agent and when a frequency is log-log-plotted on a horizontal axis and an impedance is log-log-plotted on a vertical axis with respect to an impedance measured by applying an alternating current voltage having an amplitude of 1 V on the electro-conductive layer while changing a frequency between 1.0×10?2 Hz to 1.0×107 Hz under a specific environment, an inclination of an impedance on a high frequency side is ?0.8 or more and ?0.3 or less and an impedance on a low frequency side is 1.0×104? to 1.0×1011?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Yamada, Yuichi Kikuchi, Tetsuo Hino, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Takumi Furukawa, Hiroaki Watanabe, Kenya Terada, Yuya Tomomizu, Toshimitsu Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 11091506
    Abstract: The present invention provides a silanol composition including a cyclic silanol (A1) represented by the following formula (1): wherein R1 to R4 are each independently fluorine, an aryl group, a vinyl group, an allyl group, a fluorine-substituted linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or an unsubstituted linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and a dehydration condensation product of the cyclic silanol (A2), and wherein the silanol composition has a haze of 10% or less at a thickness of 3 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11061342
    Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a charging device, and a developing device, wherein the charging device comprises a conductive member arranged to be capable of contacting the electrophotographic photosensitive member, a conductive layer on the conductive member outer surface comprises a matrix and a plurality of domains dispersed in the matrix, at least some of the domains are exposed at the conductive member outer surface, the matrix has a volume resistivity of larger than 1.00×1012 ?·cm and is 1.0×105 times or more one of the domains, the developing device comprises the toner comprising a toner particle, fine particles A and B, the fine particle A has a volume resistivity of 1.0×103 to 1.0×1010 ?·cm, and the fine particle B is silica fine particle and having a volume resistivity of 1.0×1011 to 1.0×1017 ?·cm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Noriyoshi Umeda, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Shohei Tsuda, Shohei Kototani, Masahiro Kurachi, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Hideo Kihara
  • Patent number: 10996581
    Abstract: Provided is such a conductive member that a change in its electrical resistance value caused by its long-term use is reduced to the extent possible. The conductive member has a conductive support and a conductive layer, the conductive layer contains a rubber composition formed of a modified epichlorohydrin rubber, and the modified epichlorohydrin rubber has a unit represented by the following formula (1). In the formula (1), R1, R2, and R3 each independently represent hydrogen or a saturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Norifumi Muranaka, Satoru Yamada, Kazuhiro Yamauchi, Seiji Tsuru, Yuka Muranaka
  • Publication number: 20210116860
    Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus comprising an electrophotographic photosensitive member, a charging device and a developing device, wherein the charging device comprises a conductive member arranged to be capable of contacting the electrophotographic photosensitive member, a conductive layer of the conductive member comprises a matrix domain structure, at least a part of the domains Dt is exposed at the conductive member outer surface, the matrix has a volume resistivity R1 of larger than 1.00×1012 ?·cm, the domains Dt has a volume resistivity of smaller than R1, the developing device comprises the toner, domains Dc formed of the crystalline material exist in a cross section of the toner, distances between adjacent wall surfaces of the domains Dc is from 30 to 1,100 nm, and a weight-average particle diameter D4 of the toner and distances Dms between adjacent wall surfaces between the domains Dt satisfies D4?Dms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Suzumura, Hiroyuki Tomono, Takuya Mizuguchi, Osamu Matsushita, Shunsuke Matsushita, Masahiro Kurachi, Kazuhiro Yamauchi